Automate Native, Web, and Hybrid Mobile Applications
Appium is an open source test automation framework that drives iOS and Android native, mobile, and hybrid apps using the WebDriver protocol, or the Selenium API. That’s to say, Appium is like Selenium for mobile applications instead of web applications in desktop browsers.
As users increasingly move to mobile devices, it’s no surprise that developers and testers are taking advantage of the functionalities of Appium.
Appium is important because just like different browsers respond differently to web design, mobile operating systems and browsers render applications differently. Additionally, native, mobile, and hybrid apps function separately and serve different purposes, and so they require different processes for design, development, and testing.
Native Apps
Native apps are written using the operating system’s software development kit (SDK) and are what we most commonly think of when we think of an app. Native apps are available for free or with an associated cost in mobile app stores where users can download them to appear on the main screen then touch them to open.
Native apps are designed for a
specific operating system. This means iPhone and Android apps must be created separately from each other — an app made for iOS can not work on an Android phone and vice versa.
Since they are intuitive to the platform and operating system, they are known to provide a seamless experience across devices. If built correctly for the respective OS, they will function the same across different devices without encountering varying responsive design flaws. For example, once a native app is optimized for Android devices, it will work across every unique device including different Samsung, Google, and LG phones.
On the other hand,
since they do not run in the browser, testing on different browsers and browser versions is not necessary on native mobile apps.
Web Apps
A mobile web application, is a website optimized for functional use as an application and is accessed on the mobile web. These web applications are a version of the same website accessed by a browser on a desktop but made
responsive so users can access them on their mobile browsers such as Safari on an iOS or Google Chrome on an Android.
Some apps are made as native apps as well as mobile apps. While you have to download native apps, web apps do not require you to install anything and can be accessed just by opening an internet browser and searching for or entering the website. Since they’re designed for multiple platforms (desktop and mobile) they usually aren’t as specialized to the mobile user experience and may lack certain features compared to native apps.
Web apps are primarily made using
HTML, CSS, and Javascript, unlike native apps. This means mobile apps require developers to optimize for responsive design across different devices and browsers, not only the separate operating systems. With the
numerous versions of iPhones and Androids as well as
different browsers, this can be more of a challenge when you need to design and test web applications across many configurations.
Hybrid Apps
Hybrid applications are mostly built using HTML, CSS, and Javascript, which are the same languages used to build web applications, though some native code is used as well — thus why these apps are termed “hybrid”. To think of it more simply, they can be described as web apps packaged into a native wrapper.
This also means that, while some code has to be written to be responsive across browsers and devices, it does not require as extensive optimization as mobile web apps do.
Hybrid apps can be installed and run on a browser, which is another indicator of how they act as a hybrid. They have more of the features that are attributed to native apps but won’t perform as fast or as well, echoing the functionality of web applications.
Why Use Appium
Your preference for Appium v.s. Selenium testing, as well as native, mobile, and hybrid will depend entirely what kind of apps you will be developing and testing. In fact, you may even come to find a need for both
While
Selenium testing is mainly used for web applications, it can also be used for mobile web apps because they live in the browser. Meanwhile, Appium is best suited for developers who are primarily creating for the mobile user experience by building native apps.
Both Selenium and Appium are considered essentials for
automating tests across operating systems, browsers, and devices amidst the growing disparity among user configurations. By optimizing native apps, mobile apps, and webs apps cross-platform, organizations will be better prepared to meet consumer demands and benefit from a high-quality user experience.